Archives for 2017

Warehouse Clerk and Delivery Driver

Starting at $21/hour.

We are looking for a warehouse clerk to help with routine day to day responsibilities in our warehouse. Some delivery driving will also be a must. A class C license is preferred but not required.

7 AM to 3:30 PM, Monday through Friday
On-Call Rotation: 1 week at a time approximately every 4 weeks. *Bonus Pay for On-Call

Responsibilities

Computer/iPad management
General warehouse duties
Help out with daily routine jobs in the warehouse, general warehouse duties
Inventory processing
Deliver equipment to different customers and load and unload equipment
Load, unload, prepare, inspect vehicles
Complete logs and reports
Follow safety regulations
On call one every six nights and one weekend every six weekends

Skills

ipad and computer skills
Ability to lift at least 25 pounds
Ability to operate/learn forklifts
Excellent organizational and time management skills
Good driving record
Ability to pass a drug test and background check

How the wrong motor drawings almost cost this Cement Company $15,000

Details Matter

A cement company recently learned how costly it can be when a manufacturer is not supplied with the correct motor drawings. Unfortunately, it’s a common and preventable mistake.

This particular customer had ordered a custom base upon which to mount a Flender gear reducer and 250hp electric motor. Unfortunately, the base was manufactured with the wrong motor design drawing, so the new base this customer received did not work. It is unknown how the wrong motor drawing was supplied, but the customer did know they had a serious problem and they needed to start production.

At this time, Decatur Industrial was engaged in the project and helped to find the error. The manufacturer said a new base could be made over several weeks and for an additional $15,000. Plus, the motor and gearbox were 360 feet off the ground, which would have required extensive man hours and crane costs.
After Decatur Industrial’s team reviewed the equipment, the mounting base, and the application; we found a speedy and great solution!

Motor Testing Tip: Leading and Lagging Indicators

Motor Fault Zones

Leading indicators are those that occur early in the P-F curve while lagging indicators occur later in the failure cycle. Both are key indicators, but it is important to know which one you are dealing with to better diagnose the severity of the situation.

Phase resistance, like infrared thermography, is a leading indicator of power circuit anomalies. Performed at proper intervals you would expect the resistance imbalance to identify early stages of a power circuit high resistance connection. At early stages the effect of a high resistance connection on the motor is minimal and only localized heating occurs. At later stages the current through the affected phase changes resulting in circulating currents in the motor. These circulating currents cause elevated temperatures that may reduce the life expectancy of the insulation system.

Finally, both indicators being on the P-F curve doesn’t mean you have to wait to get to the lagging indicators to make a decision. The general rule of thumb is that the earlier you can correct these issues, without affecting production, the less expensive the repair.

To see a video on the Power Circuit Fault Zone visit the website below at:
http://www.pdma.com/webinars/Power_Circuit_Fault_Zone/powercircuit.html
Thanks to our friends at PdmA for this tip.

Electric Motors in Bicycles

Cheating in the sport of cycling has reached a “mind-blowing” new level, says 60 Minutes’ Bill Whitaker. There’s evidence that some professional riders are using bikes rigged with small, secret motors during races, a practice known in Europe as “motor-doping.

Whitaker and a team of 60 Minutes producers went to Budapest to meet Istvan Varjas, the engineer who says he invented the tiny bike motor, which he says has been used surreptitiously in the Tour de France.

The motor can be activated in several different ways: The rider can activate a secret switch on the handlebars, a partner can activate the system by wireless remote, or a heart-rate monitor worn by the rider can be programmed to automatically activate the motor when the rider’s heart rate rises to a certain level.

Click here to read the full article and see the video!

Follow Decatur Industrial on LinkedIn

At Decatur Industrial, we are always working to serve our customers even better. Part of that mission means sharing with our customers how to better take care of and service motors, gearboxes, pumps, and other special production equipment. We are a reliability company – meaning we don’t just fix it, but we find out why your failures are occurring in the first place. Click here to follow us on LinkedIn and have weekly reliability tips at your fingertips.